Talk:Arbutus menziesii

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Refrigerator tree

Is this the tree commonly known among hikers as the "refrigerator tree"? If so, that should be mentioned in the article. Surprisingly, Google yeilds little info. -- Scott e^iπ 05:59, Mar 10, 2005 (UTC)

I'm not aware of it, I'll ask around though (though OR won't work in the article -- Tawker 15:38, 4 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I had never heard of that particular name for the madrone, but it seems to be a bit of a localism in northern California. Supposedly the name comes from the fact that the bark of a madrone is always cool to the touch, even on a hot summer day. The usage of that name doesn't seem to be widespread, though.Djp2.0 21:38, 20 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I second that. I've called it a refrigerator tree for decades. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.198.194.186 (talk) 05:23, 16 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I third that. I was taught in the boy scouts that madrones are called "refrigerator trees" because their smooth bark and water circulation very near the bark surface gives the surface of thicker branches good heat conductance, making them cool to the touch. I'm inclined to be bold and add it to the list of common names, but I don't have a verifiable reference. GreenRoot (talk) 18:22, 26 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Ash

Does anyone know what the reason the ash of this tree, when burned in a wood stove, is a hard mineral substance, that is manipulatable much like hot metal in a hot enough fire? The minerals that are commonly in the ash, or some such? I've found it to harden into a almost metallic, faceted hard shape, with varying colors...I've been looking at one bit that was partially something like a grayer sky blue. Quite bizarre.67.142.130.44 09:01, 2 December 2006 (UTC)Joe.[reply]

Smoking Meat

This clear, white, extremely hard wood is excellent (if little-known) for smoking meat, especially salmon. I far prefer it to alder. I use it for smoking lamb as well. There I go, giving away a valuable secret ... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.59.236.139 (talk) 02:36, 6 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]

A. menziesii in Scotland

I see this page is a California project, but it is interesting to note the presence of A. Menziesii elsewhere in the world. In the event of the tree's demise in California, seeds from other temperate climes may become happily acclimated there. But if the tree disappears in Washington or British Columbia, would seeds from such warm climates succeed?

There are 30 known specimens of A. Menziesii, some very old, others quite young, thriving in Scotland - one as far north as nearly 57.5 degrees. The British Isles are in the Gulf Stream, which makes the climate much milder than it would normally be at such latitudes, but it is still considerably colder and wetter than in California.

I would like to see this page extened to include A. menziesii from, at the very least, all of its native habitat which extends from California through southern B.C. The tree was introduced to Scotland by Archibald Menzies around 1798 from a specimen he collected from Discovery Bay in Washington (named for Vancouver's ship) while on the expedition with Captain Vancouver.

--Kodiak3000 14:23, 7 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

when you burn the madrone, does it not give off poisonous (or noxious) fumes

Death of A. Menziesii on Vancouver Island and Surrounding Areas

I am curious why large numbers of A. Menziesii seem to be dying in this area. The trunk and branches are alive, with new growth at tips but all the leaves are dead(Brown with some white speckles, brittle to the touch). Is this a case of "Sudden Oak Death"?

Mike

A powerful laxative

I have always been taught not to eat the bark of the madrone. I tried it once and found it to be very, very powerful laxative. I was very surprised to not see any mention of this under "uses" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.33.213.173 (talk) 03:02, 11 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Gallery removed

I've removed the gallery from this page as per Wikipedia policy. Some images need to be moved to Wikimedia commons, and since I don't know how to do that, have left the code on the page, commented out. Nadiatalent (talk) 16:02, 30 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The article has an appealing, uncluttered appearance now. Thank you, Walter Siegmund (talk) 00:25, 21 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

hikingsanfrancisco.com

An anon has twice added a link to hikingsanfrancisco.com. In my judgment, it violates WP:EL.[1] Does anyone else have an opinion? A related discussion occurred recently on my talk page.[2] Walter Siegmund (talk) 00:21, 21 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with you and I've removed it. Jsayre64 (talk) 16:02, 26 May 2013 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified

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RHS Award of Garden Merit?

An unsigned user asked: Apologies for being a first time wikipedia editor and not knowing the best way to bring this to attention. I noticed under Cultivation, the source attached to "This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (AGM)." leads to a page not found error (that also greets a user of the site by name). https://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=157

The RHS website does not produce a result when it is searched for this tree being awarded the AGM. I asked a chatbot to look, and its response is below between the lines. Because the statement in the article cannot be verified, WP:V, I am removing the sentence. Zefr (talk) 01:17, 20 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Based on the information available on the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) website as of my last update (and considering the current date of Saturday, April 19, 2025), Arbutus menziesii (Pacific Madrone) does not currently hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

To find the official list of AGM plants and information directly from the RHS, you would typically navigate their website. While I cannot directly browse the internet or provide live links, you can perform a search on the RHS website (rhs.org.uk) for "Award of Garden Merit plant search" or "Arbutus AGM list."

As mentioned in my previous response, the RHS has awarded the AGM to other *Arbutus* species, specifically:

Arbutus × andrachnoides: This hybrid is consistently listed as an AGM recipient.
Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree): This species also holds the AGM.

The likely reasons Arbutus menziesii has not received this award, based on general horticultural knowledge and discussions found on gardening forums and plant information sites (which are not direct RHS sources but discuss its cultivation challenges), include its:

Difficulty in cultivation: It is known to be challenging to grow successfully outside of its native habitat, requiring specific soil conditions and being sensitive to disturbance.
Potential for disease: It can be susceptible to certain fungal diseases in cultivation.

The RHS AGM is given to plants that are "excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions" and "of good constitution." Arbutus menziesii's specific needs and potential difficulties in non-native gardens likely prevent it from meeting these criteria for the award.

To reiterate, based on my current knowledge and the likely content of the RHS website, Arbutus menziesii does not have the RHS Award of Garden Merit.